System development for coal gasification by using photovoltaic solar energy

Coal gasification technology is used to convert coal to syngas which is mainly mixture of hydrogen and carbon monoxide. In traditional coal gasification facilities, oxygen produced from air separation unit reactors and these reactors have disadvantages such as high energy consumption, high capital cost and reduce the air quality of ambient because of the oxygen consumption. In this study, photovoltaic solar energy is adapted to coal gasification reactor as, oxygen and hydrogen source. It enables the electrical energy obtained by solar energy to be stored outside of the battery as alternatively. Hydrogen is used to enrichment of syngas quality. The advantages of this system examined for coal gasification facility for low rank Turkish coal. In all selected regions, the amount of coal to be gasified in the coal gasification unit is 250 tons/ hour, oxygen consumption is 3 Nm3/min, and the annual amount of water to be consumed in the electrolysis unit is 1085 ton/year. The amount of hydrogen to be used is 6 Nm^3/min, the DC power consumed for the electrolysis unit is 5,306,400 kWh annually. Thermal heating value of syngas, volume flow rate of syngas, payback period and required solar power plant for electrolysis unit is calculated for Kütahya-Tunçbilek, Muğla-Yeniköy, Manisa-Soma, Muğla-Yatağan, Bursa-Orhaneli, Çanakkale-Çan, Ankara-Çayırhan, Kahramanmaraş-Afşin-Elbistan regions. The results for Kütahya-Tunçbilek region 5,063 kcal/Nm^3, 75,375,000 Nm^3/year, 16.6 years and 3.6 MWh is calculated, respectively.